Remember Me at Midnight
by SinningBySilence
Summary: She wakes from one of *those* dreams again. It's a recurring illusion she's had for years. Daniel may have been gone, but she relishes in every second of this precious time she has with him - even if it's only a figment of her imagination. ***ONE-SHOT Set early season 1. Pro-Stable Queen with a hint of Regina/Graham.


_**Hi, Oncers! So, this isn't my usual fandom. I've been writing over at the Castle archive for two years, but this is my first venture into OUAT fic. I'm a bit scared to post this, because it's a little out of my comfort zone and written for a completely different audience.**_

_**But, what can I say? "The Stable Boy" episode has really inspired me (I still secretly root for Regina and Daniel, even though I know how tragically that story ends). I've also gone back to earlier episodes and found myself kinda disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Regina and Graham's romantic dynamic. Also, I just love Regina as a character. So, this is just a short, more reflective piece set within the first few episodes of season 1.**_

_**Anyway, I'll shut up now and let you read. Hope you like it! :)**_

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She wakes from one of _those _dreams again.

It's a recurring illusion she's had for years. Ever since she and everyone else arrived in Storybrooke, it had gradually made fewer appearances until it ceased. Then Emma Swan stepped into the picture, and she began having the dream again two or three times a week.

It always begins with Regina lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. She's facing away from her door, so she doesn't notice anyone walk in; that is, until the bed dips behind her and she feels a warm hand run down her back. She flips over to find a familiar yet long gone face waiting for her. She gasps.

She knows those beautiful hazel eyes anywhere. Even in the near dark, she knows.

Daniel.

She doesn't believe it at first. There's no way he could be there. But the sight of him is too wonderful for her to care, and so she doesn't shy away when he kisses her. She doesn't feel like running when he whispers that he misses her, loves her, and plans to explain everything later. This was their second chance. He doesn't care that she's changed for the worse, he just wants to help bring the old Regina back.

Suddenly, she does feel like the old Regina again. Well, maybe not precisely. What she feels is just a small flicker of a flame, allowing her to catch a glimpse through the darkness of who she once was and how much stronger she could make _that _version of herself now. And, oh, she desperately wants to believe that she can move on to this new-and-improved Regina and get past the evil, bitter person she's become; especially for him.

Anything for him.

With this epiphany comes a strong carnal lust—a need to prove how much she still loves him. He's right there next to her, finally, and hers for all the glorious taking. Their lips meet again, and she slips a hand beneath the t-shirt he's wearing (she has to admit, it suits him far better than his old clothing back in their world). He responds in kind, helping her to rid himself of the all-too-_there_ fabric barrier, and peppers a trail of kisses across her skin.

And so begins the ultimate reconnection. Despite the fact that it's really only a dream, Regina relishes in every second of it. It's like a gift from her subconscious—the next best thing to having Daniel with her for real, and it's always precious time spent.

The vision varies, of course, depending on the day. If she's feeling particularly low or angry, it is usually a soft, gentle coupling meant to comfort her. On the rare occasion things are going her way and she crawls into bed feeling content—maybe even smiling—there's plenty of teasing and laughter involved. But on days when she's feeling particularly powerful and left with a sense of triumph, she is the one to take control—and it's downright dirty.

When it's over, she has only a few moments to just lay there with dream-Daniel and bask in the afterglow before she wakes up. It's the part she dreads the most, because she knows that as soon as her dream self curls up against him and closes her eyes to sleep, she's immediately brought back to reality.

She wakes in her bedroom alone. Her pajamas are still on her body instead of tossed carelessly to the floor, and the other side of the bed hasn't been touched. With that, she's positive that it was all a figment of her imagination.

Daniel was dead, and there was nothing she or anyone else could do about it. Besides, she can't very well believe that, if he were to return by some miracle, he would still love her the same way. Yet the idea seems to push other very dangerous thoughts into her head.

How _would_ he feel if he could see her now? What would he have to say about the fact that she not only stooped to her mother's level, but she stooped even lower? Wherever he is, she hopes he's blissfully unaware of the thing's she's done; the people she's killed; the ones she's double crossed—

_No! _she scolds herself

She can't afford to think like that. Damn these dreams and their ability to make her vulnerable! It's possibly the greatest drawback to having them at all. Remorse won't help her at all now that she's got new problems to take care of.

Instead, she closes her eyes and allows her mind to drift back to her previous fantasy. God, she wants him there, doing everything they had just done in that dream. It certainly brings her back to that very first night when he was still alive.

_It was the first time she had ever truly thrown caution to the wind, not caring how many rules she was breaking. She had finally been able to steal away to see Daniel, and the late hour had left them completely alone on Firefly Hill. With the sheer proximity afforded by the quilt they were wrapped up in together, neither could help themselves; tradition be damned, they _needed _one another. And, lord, if they didn't leave each other absolutely breathless by the time the sun began to rise..._

As she lies there, Regina can still feel the blaze from his touch—can still feel the way his fingers trailed across her skin. She can still feel his kiss and hear every gasp, every moan, every endearment he had uttered into her ear—_everything_. And all of that, she takes comfort in knowing, was absolutely real.

At this point, her body is too entirely wired for her to fall back to sleep; it has been from the moment she woke from that delicious, sensuous dream. She needs more now, at least to appease that natural, human, fleshly desire. Where she can get it from won't be nearly as great, but anything is better than nothing.

She sits up and glances at the clock. It's almost 1:00 in the morning, and she knows she has to work tomorrow. But, _maybe_ . . .

She quickly shakes her head. Would he even be awake anyway? It probably wasn't a good idea, come to think of it. She could be a big girl and let it be for tonight. Even she wasn't senseless enough to force him out of his bed to come join her in hers.

Then again, he's always run on strange hours, so maybe he was still up. They don't normally do late night calls, but Henry is sound asleep down the hall, and the spare key is in its usual hiding spot on the front porch.

With that, Regina makes up her mind and reaches for her cell phone on the night stand to compose a quick text message.

_**Are you still awake?**_

It takes only a few moments for her to receive a reply: _**Just getting off a late shift, but I'm actually feeling a little too restless for sleep. Why?**_

_Perfect,_ she thinks as she types out her response.

_**You're smart, Graham. Figure it out. ;)**_

Again, it doesn't take long for him to answer her. The phone pings to signal a new message, and she opens it, smiling almost triumphantly as she reads the exact words she wants to see: _**I'll be there in ten.**_

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_**So, thoughts? Feel free to be brutally honest, because constructive criticism is always helpful. Don't be shy! Reviews are love. **_


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